Monday, March 19, 2007

Sounds Like Us

The Guardian reports that the hidden cost of the government's housing plans for south-east England was yesterday estimated to be at least £20bn. The sum, calculated by the Environment Agency in response to Labour's intention to build nearly 1.5m new homes in the region, includes new flood defences, sewage plants and waste tips for communities, but not providing water for developments in drought-prone areas.

Bearing in mind that Thanet has a sixty degree view of the world from Ramsgate, the development that is demanded of us will place a strain on our resources.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

Take a look at your water bills for 2007/8 and note how OFWAT ( a Government set up) has allowed the water companies to put up prices for a 5 year period way above inflation and thus boost profits.The water regulator has been quoted as saying "the price increases allowed may have been too generous" You bet they have been!Despite the extra money where is the investment in extra capacity; there is none! The water companies rake in exceess profits whilst relying in our part of the world on Bewl Water and the Victorians' aquifers and a rain-dance or two. There is no need for the SE corner to be in trouble if OFWAT forces them to create extra catchment capacity; in an average winter there is more than enough water falling out of the sky for free to give the whole SE sufficient water. Will OFWAT act?